Signal lens



0. KROEHLE.

SIGNAL LEN S. APPLICATION FILED SEPAT- 3, 1920.

IASQfi'TiZ. Patented Oct. 24,1922.

In re n+0)".

his Fl-H'arn 8% Patented Get. 241, 129922..

UNTTED STATES OSCAR KROEELE, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO.

SIGNAL LENS.

Application filed September 3, 1920. Serial No. 408,020.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR KnoEHLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lakewood. in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Signal Lens, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in signal-lenses, and pertains more especially to a light-transmitting signal-lens which is to be employed in forming the face of a stop-signaling lamp adapted to be carried by and face rearwardly of a motor-vehicle, for the purpose of indicating or signaling, to drivers of following vehicles, that the movement of the signalling vehicle is about to be arrested or checked.

The primary object of this invention is to render a suitably artificially illuminated signal-lens of the character indicated, distinctly visible and readable at an adequate distance in the daytime as well as at night so as to render the lens highly practical. on a motor-vehicle, as a danger-signal and for signaling to drivers of following conveyances that the signalling vehicle is about to come to a stop.

Another object is to have the inner side of the lens so contoured that, in transmitting light from said side to the outer side of the lens by the required artificial illumination of the lens at its inner side. light-rays are so refracted and diffused throughout the lens as to produce a highly brilliant light,

without objectionable glare, at the outer side of the lens.

Another object is to have the outer side of the lens comprise an inner circular face and an outer and substantially plane annular surface which is concentric in relation to said face, and to" have portions of said face forming the letters S, T, O and P relatively arranged as required to form the word, Stop, and to render the differentportions of said outer side of the lens highly conspicuous and capable of transmitting the desired light upon the required illumination of the lens.

Another object is to produce a signal-lens comprising a light-transmitting portion or light-transmitting portions of red or danger indicating color, and to so form the inner side or back of said light-transmitting portion or portions of danger-indicating color that said back has rearwardly flaring cavities of such dimensions and number per square inch of the'area of the 'face of said light-transmitting portion or portions of danger-indicating color, that, in transmitting light bysaid light-transmitting portion or portions of danger-indicating color upon the required artificial illumination of the lens at said back, light-rays are so refracted and diffused at the walls of said cavities as to effect the production, at the front of said light-transmitting portion or portions, of a glow ofhighly brilliant light of dangerindicating color which attracts attention and is distinctly visible at an adequate distance from the lens in the daytime as well as at night and even when said light-transmitting portion or portions of danger-indicating color are directly exposed to light-rays from the sun.

"Another object is to so form my improved lens that it can be produced with facility and at a low cost.

Vith these objects in view, and to attain any other object hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in such configuration or features, and combinations and relative arrangements of the different portions of the lens, hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 shows the outerside of my improved lens. Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section taken along the line 22, Fig. 1, looking upwardly. Fig. 3 shows the lnner side of the lens.

Referring to said drawings, it will be observed that the'lens illustrated comprises a light-transmitting plate 5 composed of .transparent or semi-transparent glass. Said 'plate is preferabl circular and therefore in the form of a dis and adapted to be placed in a substantially vertical position in forming the light-transmitting face of a stopsignalling lamp adapted to be carried by, and face rearwardly of, a motor-vehicle, for the purpose of indicating or signalling to drivers of following vehicles, upon the required artifical illumination of the lens in any approved manner, that the movement of the signalling vehicle iS about to be arrested or checked.

At its inner side or back (seeFigs. 2 and 3) the lens has numerous rearwardly flaring cavities 6 which are preferably substantially hemi-spherical and arranged in substantially straight and substantially parallel rows extending transversely of the ens.

portion thereof provided with rearwardly flaring segmentally spherical cavities, but

I would have it understood that such cavities need not be formed in every portion of said back, and that more especially important is the provision of the back of the light-transmitting portion or portions of danger-indicating color with rearwardly flaring and preferably substantially hemispherical cavities which are preferably in such close relation that adjacent cavities meet, and which are such in number and dimensions that they are comparatively small and that at least forty and preferably more nearly seventy of such cavities are formed in said portion or portions of the lens per square inch of the area of the face of said portion or portions of the lens. The lens shown is substantially full-size,

. and it will be observed therefore that the described, light-rays are so refracted and diffused throughout the lens during the transmission of light from said side to the outer side of the lens by the required artificial illumination at the inner side of the lens, as to produce a highly brilliant light, without objectionable glare, at the outer side of the lens.

The outer side of the lens is shown asl comprising an inner circular face the circumference of which is indicated by the reference-character 8 in Fig. 1, and preferably saidside also comprises an outer forwardly facing annular and substantially plane surface 9 which is concentric in relation to said inner face, and the lens has its outer portion which comprises. the annular surface 9 projecting, as at 10, somewhat forwardly of the body of the lens. The surface 9 forms the face of the projecting portion 10, and preferably said projecting portion has its internal diameter measuring over three inches.

The outer side of the lens is shown provided within the space surrounded by the projecting portion 10, preferably centrally between the top and bottom of the lens, with spaced forwardly projecting portions 12 which have substantially plane faces and are such in number, configuration and relative arrangement as to form the letters S, T, O and P relatively arranged as required to form the word or sign Stop. Preferably the annular surface 9 and the faces of the letter-forming portions 12 are substantially in the same plane, and the projecting portion 1 surrounds and is spaced from said word or sign.

raaaeve All of the lens, including the projecting portions 10 and 12, is substantially colorless, except that between the letter-forming portions 12 and between the annular projecting portion 10 and said letter-forming portions extend forwardly facing substantially plane and colored surfaces 13.

Preferably the outer side of the lens, between the letter-forming portions 12 and between the annular projecting portion 10 and said letter-forming portions, has a ruby red color, so that the colored surfaces and thetsubstantially colorless portions of the lens are rendered highly conspicuous upon the required illumination of the lens. 30

The different portions and surfaces of the lens, including the colored surfaces 13 which bound the letter-forming portions 12 of the lens, are semi-transparent or almost if not wholly transparent and are all light-transmitting. Obviously therefore the colored surfaces 13 desirably contract with the forwardly facing and substantially colorless surfaces of the projectingportions 10 and 12. Preferably transparent coloring matter is used in producing the colored surfaces 13'. The formation of a transparent or semitransparent colored surface is .too well known to require description in this specification. It will be observed, however, that the projection of the outer annular portion 10 and the letter-forming portions 12 forwardly of the colored surfaces '13 facilitates the application of the coloring matter without liability of coloring the annular surface 9 and the faces of said letter-forming portions.

It will be observed that by the hereinbefore described configuration or features, and combinations and relative arrangement of r the different portions of my improved lens, 105 all the hereinbefore stated objects are successfully attained, and T would here remark that in a lens embodying my invention and no larger in dimensions that the lens illus trated in the accompanying drawings the no sign Stop, upon illuminating the lens'by the use of a conventional reflector placed opposite and spaced from the inner side of the lens with an incandescent bulb between the reflector and the lens, is rendered dis- 115 tinctly visible and readable at an adequate distance from the lens. I prefer a signallens which has light-transmitting portions 12 of the configuration and relative arrangement required to form the sign Stop, and 120 which has associated with said sign a lighttransmitting portion of danger-indicating color, and also has the last-mentioned li httransmitting portion and the aforesaid signforming portions correspondingly cavitied in 125 the back thereof, but I would here remark that were said sign omitted the device would still be a very effective and complete and valuable signal-lens because, by means of the many hereigbefore described rearwardly 15c flaring cavities formed in the back of the light-transmitting portion of danger-indicating color, light-rays are so refracted and difi'usd at the walls of said cavities, upon the hereinbefore mentioned artificial illumination of the lens, as to produce a conspicuous glow of highly brilliant red or danger-indicating light which is distinctly visible in the daytime as well as at night.

What I claim is 1. A lens for a signal lamp comprising a plate of translucent material having a protruding light transmitting border portion and a protruding light transmit-ting signal legend forming portion within said border portion, the remainder of said plate being less translucent than said legend and border portions.

2. A lens for a signal lamp comprising a plate of translucent material having a protruding light transmitting border portion and a protruding light transmitting signal legend forming portion within said border portion, said protruding portions having fiat outer faces and the remainder of said plate being less translucent than said legend and border portions.

3. A signal-lens comprising a glass plate which has an outer forwardly projecting light-transmitting border portion and :'is provided, within the space surrounded by said portion with forwardly projecting light-transmitting portions forming a sign, the outer side of said lens having lighttransmittin surfaces contrasting with the forwardly acing surfaces of and extending between said projecting portions.

4. A lens for a signal lamp comprising a plate having light transmitting sign forming portions, the remainder of the plate distinguishing in color from said sign forming portions, the rear of the plate lying in one general plane and having means for directing rays of light through said sign forming 'ortions in lines inclined to the front sur ace of the plate.

5. A lens for a signal lamp comprising a plate having sign forming portions and less translucent portions surrounding the same and having on the rear side a substantially plane face covered with a large number of closely associated surface irregularities which direct the light through the sign forming portions in various directions with respect to the front face of the lens.

6. A signal lens comprising a glass plate which has a forwardly projecting light transmitting border portion, and forwardly projecting light transmitting portions forming a si 11 within the border portion, the rear sur ace of said plate having light directin surface irregularities.

'7. lens for a signal lamp comprising a plate having on the front face elevated protruding portions through which light rays may pass and arranged to form a sign, and

a raised lighttransm'itting border portion outside said si the remaining portions of said plate dlstinguishing in color from the sign and border'portions.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, this 21st day of August,

OSCAR KROEHLE. 

